"We want to let as many churches possible aware of the existence of the group which is still not that old," says Christine.

"We hope that parishioners will want to be as welcoming to visitors as they can, that visitors will be able to find out about their church through the website or the brochure and so they will see the benefits of the Shropshire Churches Tourism Group."

She continued: "This is not just about churches, tourism is worth more than £500million to the county and our churches play a major role in that industry.

"Tourism is also a major employer and if we can help maintain that then that only adds more value for all of us."

Membership is open to all places of worship and all denominations. The membership fee is £30 per year making it £60 for 2014/2015 and includes an entry in the Discover Shropshire Churches Brochure published at the end of 2014, entry on the SCTG website, newsletter, participation in promotional activities and a vote at SCTG meetings.